The present invention relates generally to line striping systems, and more specifically to laser assisted line striping systems.
Conventional laser assisted line striping systems project a reference line onto a surface (e.g. a parking lot) to allow a line to be painted (aka striped) onto the surface by the line striping machine as a user of the machine follows the reference line. Conventional laser assisted line striping systems are problematic in that they cannot compensate for certain changes in surface contour (e.g. lateral changes in grade). In other words, the reference line is skewed when the line striping machine becomes non-horizontal. There is therefore a need for a technology that compensates for such changes in topography.
In one aspect of the subject technology, a laser is pivotally attached to a line striping machine. The laser projects a planar line outwardly from the line striping machine. The laser freely rotates about a longitudinal axis, under the influence of gravity, relative to the line striping machine, independent of the orientation of the line striping machine, so as to project a vertically planar line regardless of the vertical orientation of the line striping machine.
If the line striping machine encounters a contour change from horizontal to non-horizontal, the subject technology compensates for such changes in topology by projecting a vertically compensated projection plane that causes a vertically compensated reference line to be projected upon the surface. A conventional system would result in a skewed projection plane that would project a skewed line upon a surface. A user following the skewed line would paint a skewed stripe.
In one aspect, the laser is operatively attached to a vertical compensator housing that is pivotally attached to the line striping machine. The vertical compensator housing is adapted to freely rotate about a longitudinal axis in the manner described above.
In one aspect, a line display system is mounted to the line striping machine. In one aspect, the line display system is mounted to a handle bar of the line striping machine; the line display system comprises a support arm operatively connected to a support arm housing, and a vertical compensator housing is pivotally attached to the support arm such that the vertical compensator housing freely rotates about a longitudinal axis in the manner described above.
In one aspect, the laser is operatively connected to a laser harness assembly, and the laser harness assembly is attached to the top of the vertical compensator housing. In one aspect, the laser harness assembly 11 has a u-shaped cross section forming an upwardly oriented channel into which the laser is mounted.